Miss Julie (1999)

36% of critics liked it
(22 reviews)
53% of users liked it
(966 ratings)

August Strindberg's once-controversial play is brought to the screen in this adaptation directed and co-written by Mike Figgis. Miss Julie is set on the estate of a wealthy Swedish family in 1894, where the servants live a life of uncomfortable poverty while the masters of the house enjoy their… More August Strindberg's once-controversial play is brought to the screen in this adaptation directed and co-written by Mike Figgis. Miss Julie is set on the estate of a wealthy Swedish family in 1894, where the servants live a life of uncomfortable poverty while the masters of the house enjoy their riches. On Midsummer's Eve, the servants and the local peasants have gathered for their traditional celebration, while one of the household cooks, Christine (Maria Doyle Kennedy), is waiting for her fiancé, a footman named Jean (Peter Mullan). However, Jean is intercepted by Miss Julie (Saffron Burrows), whose family owns the estate (and pays Jean's salary). She instructs Jean to change into a formal suit (which Miss Julie has borrowed from her father) and dance with her. Jean has little choice but to accept, and he finds himself slipping into an affair that both questions and affirms the traditional relationship between mistress and servant. This was the third screen translation of Miss Julie, following versions released in 1951 and 1972; it was also Figgis's second film of 1999, following the release of his experimental feature The Loss of Sexual Innocence. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Play Trailer

Rating, Runtime: R, 1 hr. 43 min.
Directed By: Mike Figgis
Written By: Helen Cooper
Genres: Drama, Romance

In Theaters: Dec 10, 1999 Wide
On DVD: May 30, 2000
Studio: United Artists Films

Critic Reviews

Emanuel Levy, Variety
Intermittently powerful, though not really engaging, this new Figgis version suffers from poor conception of Strindberg's noted play and mediocre acting by Saffron Burrows in the lead; as the servant, Peter Mulan is quite good.
Michael Dequina, TheMovieReport.com
Other than that split screen scene, no convincing argument is made to translate the story from the stage to film.

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Featured Audience Ratings

Lafe F

Mike Figgis' stage play translated artistically to the screen. It's a nicely lit historical manor; most of the action is in the kitchen, where the grown daughter of the house Miss Julie (Saffron Burrows) has a steamy kitchen affair with John, the footman of the estate (Peter… More
Mike Figgis' stage play translated artistically to the screen. It's a nicely lit historical manor; most of the action is in the kitchen, where the grown daughter of the house Miss Julie (Saffron Burrows) has a steamy kitchen affair with John, the footman of the estate (Peter Mullen). It's engaging drama and tragedy. I like the look of the whole piece. Things don't turn out so well because of the class distinctions of the lovers. It has some striking scenes, like the servants playful mocking of the affair. I hated the ending they showed us, it was somewhat unexpected, but everything built up to it.
Mark A

A brutal look at the inequalities between men and women and between members of the upper and lower classes. The two main characters, Miss Julie (Saffron Burrows), the aristocratic daughter of the manor, and her father's footman, Jean (Peter Mullan), seem bent on daring the other… More
A brutal look at the inequalities between men and women and between members of the upper and lower classes. The two main characters, Miss Julie (Saffron Burrows), the aristocratic daughter of the manor, and her father's footman, Jean (Peter Mullan), seem bent on daring the other to cross those lines that separate them normally and venture into forbidden territory. The acting is superb and the cinematographer uses extreme close-ups to good effect, but the production suffers from an intermittently inaudible sound track, making the dialog often difficult to decipher. Is it love, hate, or just unbridled lust that drives these two to play at their game? Unfortunately, the ending seemed jarring given the strength of the passions evoked and that spoiled an otherwise fine effort for this viewer.
Leo L

An interesting movie.